Jon Amtrup - High Latitude Sailing: Self-sufficient sailing techniques for cold waters and winter seasons

ADLARD COLES

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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This electronic edition published in 2020 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First published in Great Britain, 2020

Copyright Jon Amtrup and Bob Shepton, 2020

Photography Bob Shepton, except where credited on p.198

Jon Amtrup and Bob Shepton have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the Authors of this work

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ISBN: 978-1-4729-7327-6 (HB)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-7326-9 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-7325-2 (ePDF)

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The extract from Nattpent, copyright 1985 Ralf Jacobsen, was reprinted with permission from Gyldendal Norsk Forlag

CONTENTS

by Bob Shepton

by Trond Aasvoll

by Elena Solovyeva

by Bob Shepton

1

INTRODUCTION

Dodos Delightnavigating icebergs, West Greenland.

I could barely see the bow 43 feet away. The ski goggles took the pain away from my sore eyes. I was still captured in the white stuff. The snow was everywhere and so could other boats be. I couldnt see them, and they couldnt see me. I just had to accept the fact and be happy in the all-white world.

The one thing in my favour was that it was mid-February and I was sailing well above the Arctic Circle. I hadnt seen any other boats since I hoisted sails in the pitch-dark morning 12 hours ago.

As day broke, I sailed through a maze of low islands and skerries. The high-water mark was where the snow line ended. I was on a falling tide with following winds. All was in my favour, except for the fact that I was sailing south in the northern hemisphere.

To quote Rolf Jacobsen, one of Norways most respected poets:

North is best.

The fiery winter sky, summer night sunshine miracle

Walk in to the wind. Climb mountains.

Look to the North.

More often.

This country is long.

Most of it is North.

I was running low on water. The fresh snow was very welcome in that respect. Owing to the cold, I had not been able to get any fresh water from taps on the docks. Everything was closed down and wouldnt open before winter retreated to the mountaintops. I had to melt snow. It just made the wilderness experience more intense, bordering on an expedition ambience. It was a truly different world.